Feeling the Big Things
by Took-Baggins
Summary: A luau leads RJ to meet the girl of his dreams, but how will he convince her? RJxLuby possible slight RJxStella Currently on hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

1A/N Finally, after two months of obsessing I've written something to add to this category! Woo-hoo! Anyway, I've read a lot of the comics and I'm drawing from those a little bit too.

Remember, reviews always make someones day, so if you going to criticize at least be nice about it.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything here but the plot.

x x x

"Okay, Nate's packing up for a family reunion in Cleveland...: RJ adjusted the focus on his binoculars, concentrating on the man loading a car at the house directly below them. "Noreen's going too, so that'll leave the house empty for us."

"Why would the house being empty make a difference?" next to him, Verne was carefully drawing an outline of the yard on a small notepad. He spared a glance at the raccoon before continuing. "We've gone over there while they were home before, haven't we?"

"Yes, but you see, it's the middle of the summer. The departure of our happy couple down there leaves us with full access to the pool _and_ all of the goodies inside."

"I really don't-"

"Think of it! We'll drag out the stereo, maybe a tv...and the fridge, Verne, the fridge!" Practically squirming in delight, RJ shimmied down out of the tree, pulling Verne after him. "We are going to have the luau of the summer!"

"Luau?"

"That's right." Verne tumbled down the last few feet, coming to rest on his back with his feet sticking up in the air. "We need to work on your climbing skills, buddy." said RJ as he helped him up. He hardly noticed.

"Great, just my luck the people to rebuild Gladys' house kept the crater." as much as he was complaining, RJ knew that he liked the idea. After all, they needed to cut loose every once in awhile and if he knew Verne this was likely to be a first. As for himself, it had been too long since RJ had done something wild.

"Relax! Why I'll bet that a fearless leader such as yourself has an inner limbo king just waiting to bust out!" he said, crossing over to the tv area. Stepping around Hammy (who was exploring the inside of a cookie box, he fished around behind his carseat and unearthed his blue golfbag, stowing the binoculars safely away. Giving a _hey_ in greeting to Stella, who was next the him, he settled into his carseat. Verne, however, stayed right in front of him, blocking his view and poking a finger at his paper.

"And what do we need this for?" he asked. RJ didn't answer right away, instead he leaned from side to side in an attempt to see around his friend's shell.

"Strictly for organizational purposes."

"What is there to plan?" Verne asked. With an annoyed sort of look, RJ hopped to his feet, pulling him aside so he didn't have to talk over the sound of the television.

"Ever have a party, Verne?"

"Can't say that I have..."

"Didn't think so. You see, you can't just toss a few floaties into a pool and call it a party, there has to be a little organization involved." he explained. Verne looked a little skeptical.

"So, you're not just trying to keep me busy while you do everything?"

"Nah, gotta know where to put the drinks, who's wearing the skirts, stuff like that." said RJ, waving a paw dismissively. "Tell you what, if it'll put you at ease, why don't you do the organizing?" satisfied, Verne nodded and RJ moved to return to his seat.

"Wait..."

"Yes?"

"Is it just us?" RJ paused, raising an eyebrow as he looked back over his shoulder at Verne.

"Us? What you mean there are more of us?"

"Right. We've only got a whole fraction of a forest here."

"I'll handle it." he had to laugh at himself. He'd been living here a month already and it had never occurred to him that they weren't alone, that there were other animals still living in their little speck of land. The thought was exciting to him. Parties were always fun when they were big. Meeting a few new people wouldn't be too bad either.

Returning to the tv area, RJ grinned to himself as he hoisted Hammy out of his cookie box. The squirrel dangled by his tail as he returned to Verne, chattering excitedly. "Hey RJ, how ya doing? Hey, guess what I saw! I was watching cartoons earlier and one show had a squirrel that could play baseball. Baseball! And another had a boy skunk that was in love and 'e talked like zis..." he launched into a lengthy impression of Pepe Le'Peu, earning a chuckle frm RJ. After several seconds he paused and blinked at them. "Oh, hi! You guys need something?"

"Just a little favor." RJ said, holding up two fingers to show just how small. Hammy cocked his head and made the gesture as well.

"Real little?"

"Teeny tiny."

"Oh boy!"

"Okay, now what we need," he set the squirrel down and put an arm around his shoulders, to keep him from bouncing, "is for you to go and visit all of the other animals in the forest and invite them here."

"Here?"

"That's right. We're having a party. The forest is pretty small now, do you think you can spread the word and be back by tonight?" excitement took hold of Hammy and he broke away from RJ, scampering in a small circle as he began to chatter again.

"A party! Ohmigosh, a party! I love parties, they're fun! Are there gonna be people!" the joyous squirrel stopped as RJ grabbed him around the middle, setting him firmly in front of him.

"Hamilton! What are you supposed to do?"

"Um...something about animals?" Hammy's face fell a little as RJ frowned at him. It was clear to the raccoon that whatever was going through Hammy's head had already pushed out his task of being the invitation. He rolled his eyes, snatching the pencil and yard map from Verne so he could tear a bit off. He scribbled a note on it and, with a bit of tape, stuck it firmly to Hammy's chest.

"Now, can you keep from losing this?" he asked. Hamym saluted them proudly and, before either of them could say a word, he had sped out of sight. RJ laughed again, but Verne looked after him worriedly.

"I don't think we should let him run off by himself like that..." he muttered, following his friend back to the tv area.

"Relax, he'll be back in no time!"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Okay, I just want to say I'm am very sorry I haven't been here lately. You see about August my grandpa went into a hospital two hours away from us, so all of our spare time went into driving up there to take care of him. October 27 he finally passed away. I'm still dealing with it (I've never had someone this close to me go) but I'm trying to keep busy, so I've polished this chapter up for you guys to see.

I'm not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me or anything like that, but I feel bad for having left this so long without an update and I feel the need to tell everyone why I was gone. I hope everyone will overlook it and enjoy this chapter, it's not wonderful but I still worked hard on it.

I have finals coming up next week, so chapter three, though partly written already, may not be put up until after those are all over.

Before I forget, Carl, Luby, and Velma are not mine (nor are any of the other characters) but I have taken certain liberties concerning their personalities (though whether it is evident remains to be seen).

Enjoy chapter two, everybody!

x x x

It was perhaps two hours later that Hammy finally came to the last place he thought he'd find more animals. He had been very careful to invite everyone that he came across. Unfortunately there weren't many actual animals invited, as he met quite a few butterflies and bumblebees along the way. Now though, at last he had encountered a little group that reminded him of his own family, but much smaller since there were only three of them. He circled them once or twice, deciding how best to say hello as they stared at him questioningly. The biggest was a young she-raccoon. There was also a turtle and a rather unpleasant looking mole. They sat silently until he stopped and waved.

"I'm the invitation!" he said proudly, puffing his chest out so they could read the note. The raccoon smiled a little as she bent towards him to read it aloud to the others.

"_Greetings ladies and gentlemen (but mostly ladies)._

_Bored with watching television? Want to spice up your summer while you've still got the chance? Then head north to this summer's biggest party, located in scenic Nate's backyard, complete with pool and grill!_

_(Skirts are optional)_

She raised an eyebrow, giving her companions a 'you've-got-to-be-kidding' sort of look. The turtle, who had been putting away their few belongings (much to the irritation of the mole), grinned at them.

"Sounds like fun." she said, surveying the area to see that nothing had been missed. "We hardly ever see anyone else, we should go!"

"But they're going into the yards...with so many animals that's dangerous, Velma." the she-raccoon said, patting Hammy absently on top of the head.

"Come on, live a little!"

"They didn't say where-"

"I can show you the way!" Hammy piped up, thinking it was a good place to butt in. The raccoon looked him over skeptically. "I was going home now anyway, so I can take you with me!" she still didn't say anything. "My name is Hammy!" he added, as if that would give him some sort of credibility. The turtle, Velma, was grinning.

"Aw, Lu...he's so cute. How can you say no to that?" she gestured to the squirrel who, with no actual intention, had taken on a much cuter appearance. He had realized in the last few seconds that there was a certain amount of fluffiness to his tail and was hugging it happily to himself. After a moment he noticed them again.

"Hi, I'm Hammy!"

"Hey, Hammy." the she-raccoon smiled at him, offering him her hand. She had decided that she really like the little squirrel, and Velma was right: he was adorable. He beamed and shook her hand warmly.

"Nice to meet you, Lu!"

"It's Luby, actually."

"What is?" he asked, confused.

"My name: it's Luby."

"Oh. Luby! And you're Velma, right?" he asked, as she came to Luby's side and patted Hammy's head.

"Yep, that's me! And that's..." she turned around to indicate the mole, who had begun pushing around some dirt and muttering darkly. "That's Carl. He's a little funny in the head, but he's harmless."

"Wow, I've made so many new friends today, you wouldn't believe it! I hope they all come to the party!"

"Oh, the party..."

"Lu, please?" Velma pleaded. Hammy scampered up the back of her shell and peered over her shoulder, pouting hopefully. Eyeing the pair of them, Luby sighed and smiled in defeat.

"How can I say no to faces like that?"

x x x

Night had fallen. The Tiki torches were lit, the grill was fired up, everything was going great. At least, it would be if they could get rid of the butterflies and bumblebees.

Verne was having a particularly hard time of it. He didn't mind them being there, but was scared out of his shell that one would get squished. He rather liked the little guys, so he did his best to shoo them away gently. RJ, on the other hand, just picked them up and tossed them towards the hedge. Either way, by the time Hammy returned both of them were fed up with protecting them. Leaving a few to flutter around ("to add color" RJ reasoned) they met him at the edge of the yard, just after Luby and Velma had slipped away.

"Good job, Hammy." Verne said, scratching the little squirrel's ears. Still immensely proud of himself, Hammy wriggled happily.

"Well, I see you managed to hold on to this for me." RJ said, pulling the invitation off his chest. He squeaked a little as the tape parted ways with his fur, but didn't pay much attention to it as the open back door of the house caught his attention.

"Verne, VERNE!" he pleaded, bouncing and pointing at the animals playing a video game inside the house. "Can I go play!? Please, please, please??"

"Alright, but don't let them give you any soda!" Verne barely had time to call after him as he disappeared inside.

"See? I told you he'd be alright." said RJ, clapping Verne on the shoulder.

"Okay, you were right. By the way, did you see where they went?"

"Who?"

"Those two that came in with him. I didn't get a good look at them." Verne scanned the animals scattered about the yard, shrugging. "Oh well."

"Poor Verne, can't greet every one of them. Martha would be proud of your effort, though..." Verne scowled and RJ grinned cheekily as he gave the turtle a shove. ""Now, let's go join the party!"

x x x

Luby was alone somehow, despite having tried to keep track of Velma. She enjoyed being around so many people, but the thought of being on her own among them made her nervous. So rather than wander about on her own, she had elected to sit at the edge of the pool, watching as her fellow party-goers floated by.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Luby turned, startled. A male raccoon was next to her, stirring his drink idly as he cocked his head at her.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your boyfriend." he said, as if it were obvious. He gestured at her with a smile. "Beautiful girl like you wouldn't be at a party by herself."

_Oh, he's hitting on me._ She shrugged and looked away from him. "I am. Not beautiful, alone I mean."

"'Not beautiful'. And what makes you say that?" he asked. Luby scowled a little, not wanting to get into one of those kinds of discussions.

"Please don't."

"Don't what?" he asked innocently. Luby gave him a knowing look.

"Don't bother about me. I'm perfectly content to sit here and...and watch those dead bugs get sucked into the filter."

"Oh, I see. Then I don't suppose you'd mind if I watched them with you?" he grinned as he settled beside her. She didn't pay any attention to him, so he quieted and they sat in silence for several minutes. A stereo was playing from behind them and he nodded his head a little along with the beat, intending to just sit for as long as it took. It wasn't long before he began to fidget, though. He hadn't thought it would take this long for her to respond. Deciding to try again, he introduced himself.

"By the way, I'm RJ." he said, smiling at her. She returned the gesture faintly.

"RJ, huh? That's original. What's it stand for?"

"You really want to know?" he asked.

"Probably not, but I'm curious. What does RJ stand for?"

"Really Juicy." RJ said it with as much solemnity as he could muster. For a second Luby stared at him, actually wondering whether or not he was kidding with her before she broke out into a giggle. RJ took this to be a good sign and nudged her with his elbow. "Good, be friendly! Wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be unfriendly."

"I know."

"Good, I'm glad you know."

"Well I'm glad that you're finally talking to me instead of just telling me to go away." Luby smiled at him. Not the small grin she had given him before, but a real smile. One that actually looked as good as she felt.

"So we're both happy. Good."

"No." he waggled a finger at her and her face fell a little. "I'm not happy yet. Not until I do a little dancing to..." he paused to listen and scrunched up his nose a little when he heard what was playing. "_Tom Jones?_ Right, I'm going to dance to Tom Jones...and I need somebody to dance with."

"Oh."

"Yeah 'oh'! Come on!"he leaped up, pulling her after him as he bounded away into the yard, ready for a full night of dancing and partying.

x x x

I think I was on something of a comic-induced fit of happiness when I wrote this chapter, so there are a lot of references to the comic strip. Just in case anyone is interested, I thought I'd mention them down here. Oh, and if anyone would like to see a particular one, tell me and leave your email and I can send it to you.

Velma and Luby

Carl

RJ and Verne saving the butterflies

Luaus at Nate and Norene's

Verne is a Martha Stewart fan

Verne sings Tom Jones (after too many drinks at a luau)

RJ and Luby


	3. Chapter 3

A/N What's happening? Is the sky falling? Halley's comet? The rapture?

Close...Took is updating!

I hate that I don't get these chapters done sooner. I threw myself whole-heartedly into school there for a while because I thought I was in danger of losing my scholarship (sheesh, one C and they beat the tar out of you). Thank God for probation.

Anyway, I'm hoping to get things moving along soon. How soon? Hopefully a lot sooner than it took me to write this chapter. For now, I hope everyone enjoys!

x x x

RJ awoke none the better for the sleep he had gotten. The party had worn him out much more than he had expected it to, and he was mildly surprised that he felt so tired. Maybe the soft life wasn't as good for him as he had thought. At least it had been fun, and there had been that girl...Lucy or something like that. His groggy mind prevented him from recalling exactly what it was. He had really liked her, but she would be gone by now. Nearly everyone had left late after the party. He groaned and wriggled around in his carseat, not wanting to get up yet. Someone turned the tv on. Looking around with a scowl he saw Heather and Stella were next to him, flipping through news and talk shows.

"You finally ready to get up?" Stella asked. He only grunted and climbed to his feet, moving to sit next to Ozzie a few feet away. The opossum offered him a piece of pop-tart.

"You look like you had a rough night." He said, munching at the treat.

"It's that insufferable mole." Ozzie sighed, looking like he had hardly slept at all. RJ raised an eyebrow, unable to recall any moles from the party.

"Mole? What mole?"

"I think he moved in while we were gone last night." Ozzie passed his friend what was left of his breakfast, his expression one of sincere apology. "It's not that Heather and I don't enjoy staying in the log once in awhile, we do it every winter, it's just that we're more comfortable with our tree..."

Patting the opossum on the shoulder, RJ gave him a comforting smile. "Don't sweat it, pal, I hardly sleep with them either. Want me to go and give this guy what-for?"

"Be careful. Verne and Miss Velma went over that way not long ago, but I haven't seen them since." He suddenly gasped, seizing the raccoon by his shoulders so that they were nose-to-nose. "What if it's a cannibal! Those shells make convenient bowls..."

"I don't think so."

"No?"

"No." RJ pulled away from him, heading towards the pond, which was the general area of the small oak. Ozzie called after him, giving his usual advice:

"RJ, never forget the importance of a good faint!" the raccoon waved over his shoulder at him. He was dragging a little, still sleepy-eyed, and seriously considering just tossing this mole guy into the water.

Coming to the edge of the pond, he stopped and looked around, trying to remember which tree was Ozzie and Heather's. It wasn't long before a clod of dirt flew through the air and collided with the back of his head.

"Hey!" he yelped, spinning in the direction opposite from where he had been looking. He ducked aside as another hurtled by, narrowly missing him. Scowling, he stomped toward a sprawling oak (well, it was sprawling compared to him). He could see Verne close by. The turtle had pulled into his shell, which had been pelted so much that it looked more like a rock than a shell. RJ stood him on end and hid behind him, effectively turning him into a shield.

"What's his problem?" he asked, talking through the top of the shell.

"Velma says he's funny in the head! He thinks everybody's out to get him!"

"Who?"

"Him!"

"No, no, Velma!"

"Oh." Verne stuck his neck out a little further, looking into the branches above them. "Her!" he pointed and pulled back out of sight. RJ glanced up. Through the leaves, just barely visible, a female turtle was poised on a low limb, her focus on the mole below her. As he watched, she waved an arm and dropped down to land safely on the thing's head. No sooner had she landed than she clamped the stunned creature's arms to its sides. From around the oak's trunk (RJ could not help a thrill of excitement at the sight of her), Luby appeared. She had a roll of duct tape pushed over her arm and a sleep mask clutched in her hand. Between the two of them the mole was very soon bound and masked, looking for all the world like a crocodile that had been fished out of a pool. The girls stood next to it for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Noticing the guys, Velma strode toward them, looking a little embarrassed.

"Verne, I'm sorry that Carl's been causing trouble, but we really couldn't leave him home alone or, well...you saw."

"At least no one lost any limbs, that's always a plus." Verne smiled and glanced over her shoulder at Carl. "Will he be alright?"

"He's fine." Luby said. She glanced at RJ as she returned the smile. "At least this way he won't keep wandering off on the way home."

"So what are you going to do with him?"

"If you don't mind..." Velma said, looking a little embarrassed, "we'll move him to an unoccupied tree. When he works his way out of the tape, he won't know the difference."

"Great!" the girls turned to get to work, but RJ beat them to it. Waving them off he grabbed an end and tugged hard on it. The mole wiggled and RJ tried again, grunting with effort.

"He's really...heh...heavier than I thought he'd be..."

"Hard to believe lifting all those twinkies last night didn't help you bulk up." Luby laughed, bumping him out of the way so she could get a hold of Carl. He watched red-faced as they easily carted him several yards away.

"That should do."

"Does he do this often?" Verne asked as the four of them set off for the clearing. Velma shook her head.

"It's really only the three of us, so he's got his pick of the trees."

"There's no one else that stays with you?" RJ asked, a little surprised. Not knowing anyone but his family in the area, it had never occurred to him that big groups could be uncommon. _Makes sense, I guess._ He thought. _The fewer there are the easier gathering food would be._

"It's just been us for a long time now." Luby answered, tipping her head back toward where they had left the mole. "I think maybe Carl had a mate once, before he was with us, but he never talks about those sorts of things." the others looked up from their various activities as the group entered the clearing. Ozzie, having been worried, rushed them immediately.

"That didn't take long, how did it go? Is everyone alright? Did you remember to faint, RJ? "

"Everything's fine. There's no need to get worked up." Verne reassured him.

"I'm sorry, Verne, you were gone such a long time..."

"Twenty minutes, Ozzie?" RJ rolled his eyes, hooking his arm through Luby's and pulling her away. Ozzie could go on for hours when he got upset over something and he wanted to talk with her. What exactly to talk about had not occurred to him, but it needed to be done.

"So," he shooed the kids away to make room for them in front of the tv. "What's happenin'?"

"Nothing. That is until your little friend there showed up" she said, watching Hammy pass by scrabbling after a rolling cookie. They both smiled, watching him catch up to it and carry it away happily, presumably to wherever the rest of them were stashed.

"What did you think of the party?"

"It was fun. Nice to do something for once. It had been awhile since I saw anybody but Velma and Carl."

"You don't get out much?" RJ asked. She shrugged and sighed.

"Unfortunately, no. You'll have to let us know if you do it again."

"Sure thing." he began flipping through the channels, not paying a whole lot of attention to what he was passing over. There was a certain nervousness, now that he was talking with Luby without a luau raging around them. He felt the need to do something with his paws. Change channels, put them in his pockets (if he had had them), anything. She watched him surf for a moment, letting him realize he had stopped talking.

"Uh..." it came to him slowly, by the second time he passed _Roseanne_. "So, how long are you guys staying? Not that I think you're manly or anything..." Luby chuckled.

"We're not. We've still got a lot to do before winter, so we need to get home."

"What?" they weren't even staying? RJ stared at her, disappointed. How on earth was he supposed to get to know her if he only had, what, a couple of hours at most? "You can't leave!"

"And why is that?"

"Because...because..." he cast around for a reason. Nothing was coming to him that didn't sound crazy. He decided to change the subject. "Why are you getting ready for winter!?"

"We need food for when we hibernate." she said, matter-of-factly. His sudden agitation didn't bother her in the least. If it were not for the work that needed to be done she would have wanted to stay with him.

"You're a raccoon! We don't hibernate!"

"I do."

"That's ridiculous!"

"If I didn't then I'd be sitting by myself all winter." her tone turned cold. "I'm not doing _that_ again." RJ didn't answer her. He knew very well what it was like to be alone for the span of an entire season. With a sigh he turned away from her. "Summer is almost over, RJ. The leaves are already beginning to turn. Before long the snows will come and if I don't go to sleep with them..."

"I know." they fell into silence. RJ turned the television off and looked back to Luby. "Sorry about that."

"So, what do you say we go find something to eat?" she asked, pointing off towards the hedge. RJ followed her, glad of the change of subject. He was still feeling a little sheepish from his outburst. A quick raid was just the thing he needed.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Hey everybody! I'm back with chapter four! I took a little while in deciding how I wanted this chapter to end, otherwise it would have been done sooner. Sorry for the delay!

Thanks for reading everyone! Please review if you've got a moment, I live on feedback!!

x x x

Meanwhile, as RJ was leading Luby through they're own private section of suburbia, Verne and Velma were getting on famously. Somewhere between the episode with Carl and Verne's tour of the log and it contents they had thoroughly begun to enjoy each other. maybe it was her intelligence, or his skills with organization, or maybe even the fact that they were the same species. whatever it was, he would be sorry to see her go, and he had told her so. she had only smiled at him.

x x x

Having cleaned our Nate's place the previous evening, RJ decided to venture a little deeper into the neighborhood. As a precaution, they invited Tiger to come along to stand watch for them, seeing as cats generally went unnoticed in crowded neighborhoods. He and Luby were getting along very well, and they chatted happily as RJ led them through the sunny backyards of El Rancho Camelot.

"So, you've lost some weight then?"

"Yes. The outdoor-woods is very good for one's health, I think."

"Are you sure it's not just because you've stopped lying around all the time and eating kitty treats?" RJ asked, grinning as they ducked through a hole in a privacy fence.

"Exactly! It is exercise. sitting always, it is just not good for you."

"Well I'm happy for you. It seems like you've really taken to the wild life." Luby said, smiling at Tiger. Glancing back at them, RJ couldn't help but smile too. She didn't really know the cat, but seemed interested in what he was saying to her. 'A very caring person.' he thought. His mood improved considerably as they went along, and at length he turned aside and approached the back door of a house with blue siding and white shutters. Tiger split from them and circled to the front of the house. Anxiously, Luby looked up at the windows, casting a glance towards RJ. The raccoon was inspecting the back door.

"What are you doing?"

"If this thing is unlocked, this'll be a lot easier on us." he said casually. She hesitated before joining him. "I didn't realize you went inside when the humans were here."

"What?" he paused to look at her. "They're not here!"

"How do you know?"

"This is the Kirkpatrick place." he waved a paw at the house dismissively. "they leave this door open for the breeze when they're home."

"Oh." normally, Luby was unused to raids consisting of more than digging through trash cans. She was glad she wouldn't have to get used to this. Pushing her anxiety away and trusting that RJ probably knew what he was doing, she watched him abandon the door and move to the low windows. Obviously being very experienced with this kind of work, he went steadily along the side of the house. He worked patiently, giving a tug to first one corner, then the other before moving on. Admiration came over Luby as she watched the raccoon work. she had a sneaking suspicion that he had been breaking into houses for the greater part of his life. Finally at the third window, he found one to his liking. He gave a sharp whistle and began to pull hard at it as Tiger bounded back into view.

"Piece of cake." RJ congratulated himself. He lent a paw as the others crossed over the sill. They found themselves in a sort of living room, which was adjacent to the front sitting room. Tiger saluted them eagerly.

"I will retake my post, looking out for danger. if arise danger does-"

"We get it, just go!" the cat nodded, trotting away to climb into the front window where he could look out onto the street. "He gets excited when we ask him to play lookout for us." RJ explained as Luby followed him down a short hallway. "Proud of the responsibility, or something like that."

"Certainly rises to the occasion, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, well, he comes in handy. Even if he didn't we'd have to tolerate him for Stella anyway." the two of them turned a corner or two and came into the kitchen. RJ, having been there before, knew his way pretty well.

"Stella?"

"The skunk. You know, the one who chased out those chipmunks last night? They kept saying the pool smelled like a swamp."

"Oh yeah...that was pretty late. Some parts of last night are a little blurry." RJ grinned, unable to help himself.

"I was worried when you got into your fourth Mach-6. Knew you had too much when you started coming on to me."

"I did not!"

"Are you sure? You said it yourself: things are a little blurry."

"They're not _that_ blurry." Luby elbowed him sharply in the side, but all she got from him was a chuckle. Rolling her eyes, she began to rifle through the low cabinets. RJ, seeing that she was already taking her pick, climbed into the sink to reach the window. She tossed things up to him and he happily punted them through the window, where they could pick them up on their way out. They had nearly finished picking through the good stuff when Tiger suddenly came flying into the room.

"They are here! They are here!" he fairly screeched as he tried to keep from crashing into Luby. She yelped and dodged away as RJ dropped to the linoleum.

"Where? Coming up the street? The driveway?" he asked, calm despite the cat's obvious panic. Bumping Luby out of the way, the raccoon grabbed a few more things and hurled them at the window.

"No, not outside. Here!"

"Here!?" the three of them froze. From the front room voices reached them, muffled by the door. They stood horrified for several seconds before RJ snapped to attention. "No need to panic, we've dealt with this before...you couldn't have given us more warning?" Luby felt him tugging at her, wanting her to climb to the window.

"I did not recognize the Kirkpatrick automobile! I am sorry, I have failed..."

"No, you're just getting us killed. It's no big deal, really, but perhaps we should _go!_" feeling incredibly bad about himself, Tiger followed after the two raccoons as they quickly scaled the cabinets.

The cat leapt for the counter, his claws sliding uselessly off the plastic. RJ and Luby grabbed onto his front paws, pulling at him. It wasn't working. He was bigger than both of them. "Good grief! How did you get through the other window?"

"It was lower down." Tiger slid back down, landing in a heap of fur on the linoleum. "It is no good! I will handle things here. Go!"

"I don't think so." RJ wasn't about to leave him behind. He moved to jump down from the counter, intent on pushing the cat from behind. However, before he could Tiger sprang up and bolted through the door.

"I will stop them, run!"

"Stupid cat!" Luby groaned after he had gone. They stood, tensed, listening to the clamor his sudden appearance in the front of the house had caused. The Kirkpatrick's definitely sounded surprised to find a Persian cat running wild through their living room. "What do we do now?" she whispered. RJ was cursing silently, and he made a face as he quickly thought it through.

"We'll have to come back for him." he sighed.

"We're leaving him?"

"Luby, we can't do anything about it right now. There's too many of them. Let's go back and round up some help." he pulled her toward the window.

"But will he be alright alone, with all those humans?" They jumped out through the window, landing heavily on a loaf of bread.

"Look, it's different for cats." The two of them ignored the pile of stolen food and set off through the yards. "People don't freak out over him like they do with us, that's why we use him for lookout. He'll be fine." Luby didn't entirely believe him, but he did know more about handling the situation than she did. She felt horrible now about suggesting this trip as she ran after him. It had been a terrible idea, and now they were going to have to go back and tell everyone they had lost Tiger.

It looked as if she'd get to stay longer than she'd planned.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Sorry for the wait everybody! (I know, I know, I did it again) but school's nearly out (less than two weeks) and if my parents don't make me get another jobs then hopefully i'll have this story wrapped up before too long!

I finally got around to the light RJ/Stella, sorry if it seems to come out of nowhere. I also tried to use more characters that I feel I've kind of been ignoring. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!!

x x x

Stella didn't take it very well. She chased after RJ, throwing anything within her reach at his head. The skunk was furious with him for leaving Tiger behind. Eventually she fell silent, stopping to sit in the middle of the clearing. She looked incredibly forlorn, even though she kept casting dark glances at everyone. Verne, fortunately, handled it much better. The first thing he did was call a family meeting. They gathered around RJ's tv area, speculating loudly over what was going on. Verne stood in front of them, looking very much the part of a worried father.

"Everyone, settle down. Guys! Look there is nothing to worry about, we just have a little emergency on our hands." he had meant to quiet the group, but his rather poor choice of words had only succeeded in fueling their talk. He sighed and turned to RJ and Luby, who were perched on opposite sides of the carseat with Hammy bouncing between them. "Let me get this straight...You two, and Tiger, went off to do a little raiding and didn't bother to tell anyone."

"It wasn't anything major. We didn't want to bother anybody about it." RJ defended. The turtle frowned at him. "There's safety in numbers, RJ! To be honest, I'm disappointed with you." The raccoon sunk down next to Hammy, who patted his ear cheerfully.

"It wasn't his fault, it was my idea to go."

"Nobody is to blame here." Ozzie spoke up. He rose and stood next to Verne. "This sort of thing was bound to happen eventually. It's a risk that we always take." Everyone was listening now.

Heather, who was sitting with the silent Stella, glanced at the skunk before asking hesitantly. "So, what's going to happen to Tiger?"

"We're going to go get him, right there, Verne?"

"Of course we are, Lou."

"When?" Stella stirred, speaking for the first time in perhaps an hour.

"As soon as possible." She looked to RJ. "Right?"

"...Yeah." he nodded.

"Look, I know you didn't want to leave him there, and you wouldn't have if there was any way to get him out without getting caught yourself. It's just..." she trailed off, for once lost for words. The silence around the clearing went unbroken until she sighed and sat back down next to Heather. Verne, seizing the opportunity to speak, called the group's attention back upon himself.

"That's it, then. We'll aim for tonight if we get everything worked out by then. Now, we've got some plans to make." The family scattered. They knew well by now who would be needed for the planning stages of any operation. Very soon, RJ found himself alone, save for the little group of Verne, Ozzie, Velma, and Luby. Stella and Heather had stayed in their seats. He ignored the larger group, instead moving over to the slightly smoldering skunk.

"Stella?"

"What?"

"I uh..." he faltered a little under her glare. "I'm sorry about Tiger." a pensive silence fell over them as he stood there expectantly. It was the sort of thing that needed to be between the two of them. Heather took a moment to realize this and sat looking from one to the other.

"So...are you guys going to, like, talk or anything?"

"_Heather!"_ Ozzie called from the group. The young opossum made a sound of annoyance and left to see what her father wanted. Her absence made Stella a bit more comfortable, and she sighed.

"I was surprised."

RJ looked at her. She was practically deflating in front of him. The glare was starting to fade from her eyes. She just looked...sad. He took Heather's place next to her. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. I was just a little startled by how worried I was. I guess you can't know how these things feel until you got to deal with them yourself...I hope Tiger's doing okay."

"Hey, I'm sure he's fine. He's lived with humans for most of his life, he knows how to handle them." It was an attempt to console her, and he was relieved to see her small smile as it crept onto her face.

"That's true...RJ? I'm sorry too."

"Not nearly as much as I am. You know I'd never mean to do anything that would hurt you, Stella..." the smile disappeared as she turned away from him.

"RJ..."

"I know, I know."

"I wish you'd stop doing that."

"Been doing better with it." he smiled at her, but she smirked at him.

"I noticed. You've been following that Luby girl around ever since you bumped into her. I like her."

"Me too." RJ frowned, thinking about what he had said. He hadn't admitted it to himself and now here he was admitting it to Stella. She had a way of doing that to him...getting him to talk. Possibly it was her brutal honesty. She always called things as she saw them, and when you were around her long enough it began to rub off.

"You _like _her!" she laughed. The raccoon was tempted to scowl, but he was glad she seemed happier now. It always thrilled him when Stella laughed. She did it so seldom, it seemed to him something to be happy about. He liked Stella too. _Liked_ liked. She knew very well, too, though she did not return the affection. It had started early on, in that first week. All though the summer they had skirted around it. It was seldom brought up now, and even then neither of them would be very direct about it.

Besides, she did have Tiger...and he might have had Luby, had she not been meaning to leave.

"...You're going to rub this in my face, aren't you?"

"I don't know. I think I might just leave you to dwell on it." she was definitely cheering up. RJ smiled inwardly.

"You're a cruel lady, you know that?"

"I do try." she grinned at him. "Now come on, let's go find out what's happenin' with Tiger!"

x x x

He hadn't realized how much he missed it. Granted, he wasn't quite so used to it as he once was, so he was a little on edge, but it wasn't all that bad. Tiger chuckled to himself, licking the tuna taste from his lips as he lounged comfortably on the couch in the front room. The young Kirkpatrick boy stroked his back lightly, eliciting a low purr from the Persian cat. He wasn't staying long, just until someone left a window open, but he supposed he might as well behave and hope there were no trips to the pound in the near future.

"I just can't believe this!" Tiger's ears perked up at the sound of Mrs. Kirkpatrick's voice from the kitchen. He closed his eyes, smiling to himself. This was probably the way everyone reacted upon finding their recently raided kitchens. Disbelief. It was amusing, in a way, how upset they became when their nice, neat shelves and pantries were violated. It was. It was very funny.

Unless, of course, they realized that he was part of the party responsible.


End file.
